November 2008 Column

Carlyle and I sorted through two long shelves of old books. Among them was one published in 1943. It had been given to my sister and me Christmas 1949. It is brownish-yellow with age.

A Book of Prayer for Boys and Girls. The introduction explains the importance of learning to pray, to learn this sacred discipline from parents and teachers.

“You need a telescope if you want to study the stars, a plow if you want to till the soil, an auto or train to travel, a radio to listen to broadcasts.” (My how time has changed!) “And if you want to be Christians you need to pray.” Then this quote “Prayer is the Christian’s vital breath, the Christian’s native air.” (That has not changed!)